The World Bank affirmed this in “the Vietnam High Quality Education For All” report, released on April 20, which provides an in-depth analysis of Vietnam’s primary and secondary education performance.

The report shows that Vietnam’s literacy rate and school attendance rate compare favorably to other countries in the region and in the same income group.

However, the report also recognizes that the country still faces challenges in closing gaps in access and learning across population groups, and in improving the quality of teaching and learning to develop the skills needed for the labor market.

To address those challenges, Vietnam should better prioritize public funding in the education sector, enhance spending efficiency and improve school management and pedagogy.

“This reform agenda is critical to meet the public demand for a higher performing education system and build sustainable foundation for human development in middle-income Vietnam,” said Emanuela di Gropello, lead author of the report, lead Economist of the Human Development Unit in the East Asian region.

The report, a joint product of the World Bank, UK Department for International Development and Belgium Development Cooperation, offers an analysis of educational performance over time (1992-2008) and the drivers of change to inform the next decade of policy reforms in Vietnam.